The problem of counting and dispensing a predetermined quantity from a bulk of small articles exists for a multitude of items and processes. Exemplary items include comestibles such as candies and breath mints, machine components such as bolts, nuts and other fasteners, valuables such as diamonds and other gemstones, vitamins, and the like.
The problem has been addressed using multiple approaches. For example, a cavity-filling device sized to physical particulars of a specific article is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,941 to Bross. As another example, a device that counts total weight using a calibrated pieceweight measurement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,525 to Knothe et al. As an additional example, a device employing a vibratory feeder to singulate (and thus enable counting) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,718 to Seaton. As yet another example, a device that employs a vacuum to separate and count a fixed, but predetermined number of objects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,302 to Leu et al. The several devices and techniques exemplified above individually provide varying levels of performance in key operational parameters such as speed, accuracy, universality (adaptability), size, complexity, and cost. But few, if any, provide a high level of measure in more than one or two of the above parameters. Cavity fillers of the type described in Bross are typically bulky and suitable only for articles that closely match the cavity size. Vibratory counters like that disclosed in Seaton are ordinarily bulky and can be difficult to tune (i.e., configure). Weight counters like that described in Knothe can be inaccurate due to piece-weight variability. Vacuum-based systems such as that shown in Leu et al. are typically complex, slow and difficult to calibrate.
In view of the foregoing, a singulating device which is fast, accurate, small, easy to configure, reliable, and nearly universal would be desirable.